Galvanizing or electroplating process



May 10, 1932. M. VON DEVECIS GALVANIZING OR ELECTROPLATING PROCESS Filed Dec. 4; 1929 772 ,Devec i8 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES MICHAEL VON DEVECIS, OF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR T0 WALDBERG SOCIETE ANONYME, 0F PARIS, FRANCE GALVANIZING OR ELECTBOPLATING PROCESS Application filed December 4, 1829, Serial No. 411,663, and in Hungary May 15, 1929.

The disadvantage of the known galvanizing or electro-plating processes 1s the lack of a reliable contact connection of low elec-- trical resistance between the articles to beplated and the negative pole of the source of current. The lack of a good contact 06- casions special diiiiculties in plating articles in bulk, particularly where large currents must be employed, for instance in chrome electrolytes, in which case, as 1s known the articles pam into the plating bath ma metallic sieve or in a drum. with a low speed of revolution.

In this case the currents acting upon the sieve connected with the negative pole of the source of current are substantially higher than those acting upon the surtaces of the articles lying by their own weight in the sieve, as a result of which the deposlt is made mainly upon the sieve and not upon the 8111'? faces of the said articles.

The object of the invention is to remove t current.

In consequence of the centrifugal force, which must be greater than the intrinsic weight of the articles, the latter are brought into firm contact with the internal cylindricut surface of the drum.

The apparatus employed may be constructed in various forms. The rotary drum may serve as a receptacle for containing the bath, the receptacle being made of a material that is a good conductor of electricity, for

instance entirely of metal. or else of an insulating material with conductors provided in various places. The drum may alternativelv be perforated or made like a sieve, in which case, however, the revolving drum must be immersed in the bath.

The same apparatus is likewise suitable for removing the plating from plated articles,

if the drum is connected with the positive poi; of the source of current in a suitable According to a second form of the process, 11011, steel or nickel articles are attracted to the cathode surfaces by magnetic forces, either by means of permanent magnets or by means of electromagnets. The cathode may form one pole or both poles of the electromagnet. The current may be interrupted at times, as a result of which the-articles in the bath repeatedly change their position, and come into contact with the cathode at another point when the current is switched on again.

The drum is constructed as a mlxing drum, and revolves at a low speed in a known manner.

According to a further form of the process, a combination of centrifugal force and magnet1c force may be employed, without special difiiculty, for the purpose of causing suitable contact.

This process is primarily suitable for galvanic baths which require large currents, for the chromium process for instance, for the purpose of reducing the resistance as far as possible. In baths which require small currents, the capacity and the quality of the deposit are considerably enhanced. The emptying of the plated articles may be efiected by means of magnetic force.

011 the vertical shaft 1 is mounted the iron drum 2, the'lower bottom part of which is made conical and lined with three insulating plates on its lower and upper surfaces. The plain wall 4 forms the cathode, the vertical'iron plates 5 form the anodes. The anode plates are secured to the insulated ring 6 by the insulated screws 7. This ring is com nected by means of the conductor 8 with the metal ring 9, which is secured to and insulated from the shaft 1, the brush of which is connected with the positive pole of the source of current. The metal rin 10 is keyed directly to the shaft and mal res con tact with the brush connected to the negative pole. The articles to be galvanized are introduced into the drum by means of the tit) funnel 11 and, when the drum is rotated, are

thrown against the circumfercnce 4 and pressed firmly againstthe surface. During and after the galvanizing process, the drum is periodica ly braked by means of the foot brake 1:2 and the brake ring 13, when the articles in the stationary drum collect in the basket 14.

The removal of the articles is effected by the arm 15 being turned upwards from its rest position I, so that the forked arm 16 secured on the journal of the arm, the tube 19 connected with the journal 18 of the ball bearing casing 17 and the basket 14 secured therewith, are raised. The basket is raised until it is not closed by the conical cover 20. This happens as soon as the arm 15 reaches the position II. In this position the drum is again set in rotation so that the articles in the basket 14 are centrifuged and the liquid is thrown out through the openings between the cover and the basket, and the articles remain in the basket. After centrifuging, the arm 15 is turned upwards into the position III. During this movement the basket 14 carries the cover 20 with it. The cover 20 is suspended from the ball bearing cas ng 21, which is connected with the cover 22 through the tube 29. The funnel 11 is arranged on this cover. \Vhen the arm 15 is turned upwards between the positions II and III in addit on to the basket 11. the bearing casing 21, the cover 22 and the funnel 11 are moved upwards. In the positions I, II and III of the arm 15, the arm 16 is in the positions IV, V and VI.

If, now, the arm 15 is turned further up-- wards from the position III, the pair of journals 18 of the bearing casing 17 slide into the upwardly directed recess 30 of the fork 16 so that, during this turning, the bearing casing 17 with the basket 14 remains in a position of rest while the forked arm 24 is raised by the rod 23 of the arm 16, which, with its pair of journals 25, raises the bearing casing 21 and with it the cover 22.

The basket 1 1 and its cover 20 are therefore opened so that the articles are thrown out of the rotating basket and are caught by the conical wall. In the lower space of this wall they are delivered along the surfaces 27 into the tubes 28 and collected altogether in a common basket.

What I claim is 1. An electro-plating process, comprising the feature of holding the articles to be plated in contact with the negative ole of the source of electric current not only y their intrinsic weight but also by means of a centrifugal force.

2. An electroplating process, comprising the feature of placing the articles to be plated in a drum forming the negative pole of the source of current and rotating the drum atsuch a speed that the centrifugal force tending to keep the articles in contact with the internal surface of the drum is greater than the intrinsic weight of the articles.

3. An electro-plating process, comprising the feature of holding the articles to be plated in contact with the negative pole of the source of electric current intermittently by means of electro-magnets.

4. An electro-plating process, comprising the feature of holding the articles to be plated in contact with the negative pole of the source of electric current in a mixing drum by means of magnetic force.

5. An electro-platin process, comprising the feature of holding t e articles to be plate in contact with the negative pole of the source of electric current in a drum by means of centrifugal and magnetic forces.

6. A method of gal anizing articles in a rotating drum which acts as a cathode and with the use of high current densities; characterized by the feature that the articles to be galvanized are pressed against the wall of the drum by' centrifugal force acting when the drum revolves at a high speed.

7. A method of galvanizing articles in a rotating drum which acts as acathode and with the use of high current densities; characterized by the feature that the articles to be galvanized are pressed against the wall of the drum by magnetic force.

8. A method as described in claim 7 characterized by the feature that the force is periodically interrupted so that the articles will change their positions.

9. An electro-plating process comprising the feature of placing the articles to be plated in a drum forming the negative pole of the source of current and holding the articles in contact with the internal surface of the drum not only by their intrinsic weight but also by means of a. supplementary force.

In testimony whereof I have signed mv name to this specification.

MICHAEL VON DEVECIS. 

